Support for hinged covers or members



F. E. LEVANSELER.

SUPPORT FOR HINGED COVERS 08 MEMBERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, 1915.

1,336,085. Patented Apr. 6, 19 20.

"UIQTITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. LEVANfSELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORT FOR HINGED COVERS 0R MEMBERS.

Application filed March 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. LEVANSELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Chicago, in the'county of-Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supportsfor Hinged Covers or Members, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in meansfor supporting the hinged lids or covers of desks, trunks, boxes, pianosand the like, when raised or turned on their hinges to any desiredelevation or angle, in such a manner that the supporting action oroperation of the device will be automatic, and of such a character as tosecurely hold the lid, cover or member in its tilted or raised positionagainst accidental lowering or falling of the same, yet, so that, by theproper manipulation of the cover ormember, and by applying slightdownward pressure thereto, it can be easily lowered or closed, in whichposition it will remain until again lifted.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a support of theabove named general character, which'shall beextremely simple andinexpensive in construction, strong, durable and efiective in operation,with its parts so made and arranged, that they can be easily applied orattached to the'article and its cover, and when in use, will beconcealed or protected, when the cover or memher is closed. Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in thesubjoined description and explanation:

In the accompanying drawing, which serves to illustrate an embodiment ofthe invention- Figure 1 a vertical sectional view through a portion of abox, trunk or desk with its lid closed, showing one form of the supportin position ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of like parts, showing the cover or lid raisedor tilted and illustrating the position the parts of the support willassume, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a box, showing the lid thereofraised and supported by a modified form of the support, the lid andparts of the support being shown by dotted lines in the positions theywill assume when the lid or cover is closed.

Like numerals of reference refer to like Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 13,821.

parts throughout the different views of the drawing.

The reference numeral 5 designates a portion of the'body or desk, box ortrunk, which may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction, andhas hinged to its upper portion atone of the sides thereof a cover 6,which, in the present instance, is shown with a depending flange 7, atits perimeter, but which if desired may be omitted. Pivotally connectedat one of its ends to the cover 6, at a suitable distance from itshinged portion, is a link or bar 8, which is extended down along theinner surface of one end 9 of the box, trunk or desk, and is pivotallyconnected at its lower end to one end of a lever 10, which, in thepresent instance, is shown as being a bell crank lever, and fulcrumed asat 11 to the end of the box or trunk near its upper front portion. Theshorter arm 12 of the lever 10 is bodily off-set from the member 10 andhas connected to its lower portion one end of a spring 13, the other endof which is connected to one end of an adjustable rod 1%, which is shownas extending through the rear portion of the box or trunk, and has onits rear portion a nut 15, by means of which said rod may be retained inposition and adjusted so as to adjust the tension of the spring 13, whendesired. Located above the lever 10, near the juncture thereof with thelink 8, is a stop pin 18, which will restiict the upward movement ofsaid lever, and which it will be understood may be located at anydesired point on the end 9 of the box or trunk so as to permit ofgreater or less movement of the lid as may be desired.

In the present instance, the upper end of the link 8, is shown as beingpivoted to the flange or cleat 7 of the lid, but it is obvious that saidlink may be pivoted to the lid in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing is shown a modification in the construction ofthe support, which consists in employing the link 8, which is pivoted atits upper end to the lid or cover 6, at a suitable distance from itshinged portion, and in the present instance is shown as being pivoted toa bracket 17, secured to said lid or cover. The lower end of this linkis pivotally connected to a lever 18, which is also in the form of a 4bell crank lever having its shorter arm 19 located at an acute angle tothe longer arm or lever 18, instead of being located at a right anglethereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. In this modifiedconstruction the lever 18 is extended toward the rear portion of the boxor trunk 5 and is fulcrumed on a pivot 20, mounted on a bracket 19,which is shown as being secured to the bottom of the boX 5, but whichbracket may be otherwise suitably mounted. Connected to the free portionor end of the arm 19 of the lever is a spring 13, which is connected atits other end to a bracket 21, secured to the bottom of the box, or toany suitable support. The link 8, in the construction shown in Figs. 1and 2, as well as that'shown in Fig. 3, is illustrated as extendingthrough a suitable opening 22 therefor in a partition 23, or the bottomof the box, as shown in Fig. 3, but it will be understood that saidpartition may be omitted and forms no part of the invention. In themodified construction shown in Fig. 3, and above described, the tensionof the spring 13 is adjusted to suit the weight of the lid 6, and thedimensions and locations of the parts before it is placed in position onthe bracket 21, and arm 19, so that it will require no furtherregulation.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawing, it will be readilyunderstood and clearly seen that by raising the lid or cover 6, from theposition shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 2, of the drawing, thelink 8 and lever 10 will be moved upwardly so that the arm 12 of saidlever will be under the tension of the spring 13, thus holding the coverat the desired inclination or elevation until it is desired to lower thesame, when, by a very slight downward pressure on the lid, the same willbe lowered gradually until it rests on the top of the box, trunk ordesk, in which position it will remain until again lifted. When the lidor cover is closed, the weight thereof overbalances the tension of thespring sullic-iently to hold the lid or cover in its lowered or closedposition. Upon raising the cover slightly the tension of the springbalances the weight of the cover or liduntil -the latter is raisedsufiiciently for the lever to strike the stop 16, which as beforestated, may be located in any suitable position, to give the lid orcover the desired inclination. When the lid or cover has beensufficiently raised the tension of the spring overbalances the weight ofthe cover thus holding it open. To close the cover, only a slightdownward pressure thereon is necessary when the spring and lover willpermit it to close automatically and quietly.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the same result is attained, but itwill be noted that the elbow or joint of the link 8 and lever 18 ispresented forwardly of the'fulcrum point of said lever, whereas in theformer construction said joint or connection is located rearwardlythereof. v

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination with a hinged coveror member, of a link pivotally connected at one of its ends thereto at asuitable distance from its hinged portion, a suitably fulcrumedbell-crank-lever pivotally connected at one of its ends to the other endof said link, and a spring connected at one of its ends to the lever ata point near the end thereof opposite said pivoted end and at its otherend to a suitable support, the arms of said bell crank lever beingbodily offset at the fulcrum point of said lever with respect to eachother so as to move in different planes.

2. The combination with a hinged cover or member, of a link pivotallyconnected at one of its ends to said cover or member at a suitabledistance from the hinged portion thereof, a bell-crank-lever fulcrumednear one of its ends and pivotally connected at its other end to theother end of said link, a spring connected at one of its ends to theshorter arm of the bell-crank-lever and at its other end to a rod, saidrod having a screwthreaded portion and extended through a suitablesupport, and a nut engaging the screw-threaded-portion of said rod toadjust the same longitudinally, the

longer and shorter arms of the bell-cranklever being bodily offset neartheir pivot with respect to one another so as to move in differentplanes.

FRANK E. LEVANSELER. Witnesses CHAs. C. TILLMAN, A. S. PHILLIPS.

